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What is Edge Computing and Why Is It Important?  

Thanks to its factory and equipment monitoring PaaS, SmartEYE™, Ectron Corporation has been selected to join an elite #MSPartner cohort in the #CatalystAccelerator, presented by Microsoft’s @BlackChannelPartnerAlliance, @Black Partner Growth Initiative and @AppMeetup. Inclusion in the Accelerator means Ectron will have access to more resources and technology, which Ectron will use to make customer implementations of SmartEYE™ more efficient and SmartEYE™ data analytics more useful, a benefit that customers will see immediately. “The Black Channel Partner Alliance, AppMeetup, and the Microsoft Black Partner Growth Initiative are excited to work with Ectron. [By participating in the Accelerator, Ectron has] a whole team [within Microsoft] focused on supporting Ectron’s growth goals over the next few months,” says Regina Johnson, Microsoft BPGI Director of Global Strategy. “This partnership brings even more resources and support to Ectron and, therefore, more power to U.S. manufacturers. With SmartEYE, Ectron is changing the game for U.S. manufacturing by bringing small and medium-sized manufacturers online for an affordable price. Manufacturers need to collect real-time data from the factory floor to make the best decisions regarding operations. Manufacturers that fail to transition to data-driven decision-making are putting themselves at a huge competitive disadvantage. Ectron’s SmartEYE™, a data collection and data-analytics Platform-as-a-Service made specifically for industrial use, is a great equalizer, allowing every manufacturer in the U.S. to implement all of the operational, financial and sustainability efficiencies enjoyed by multi-billion-dollar enterprises that use data analytics to run leaner and cleaner,” according to Kary Dodd, CEO of Ectron Corporation.

Using SmartEYE™, this Hops Drying Facility has optimized its operations and equipment. Installation on a remote farm was no problem for the Ectron team.

With 0.06°C Accuracy for Common Thermocouple Types, the Model 1140A is the gold standard 1140A Thermocouple Simulator-Calibrator Product Demonstration – YouTube

What Is Edge Computing and Why Is It Important? | Microsoft Azure

IIoT is emerging as a force in manufacturing, but it’s primarily relegated to large companies with large budgets and well-trained staff. Ectron and Arrow Electronics team up to bring smart manufacturing and industrial automation to small and mid-size enterprise customers. Cognizant that customers couldn’t do the integration, Ectron built the system to be plug-and-play. The result is SmartEYE™, an end-to-end solution with artificial intelligence on the edge that enables sub-10ms response times.

Ectron and Arrow executed a comprehensive plug-and-play industrial automation solution to Ipad with analytics and controls in smart factoryenable the digital transformation of any factory into a smart factory. SmartEYE™ solution is an IIoT based factory 4.0 Paas (Platform as a Service) that provides a 360-degree view of any manufacturing line, cell, or an entire plant. By applying big data analytics and advanced sensing and control technologies to a wide range of manufacturing activities- the solution improves productivity, operational precision, facility performance, and energy efficiency in a wide range of industries.

Arrow Electronics was engaged by Ectron to provide an end-to-end technology stack that allows stakeholders to deploy smart manufacturing technologies with ease. Ectron devices and software were complemented by Arrow’s expertise in edge hardware, integration, and on-site deployment and support. Arrow’s global presence and partner ecosystem helped Ectron gain scale and support implementations of a ready-to deploy platform for customers.

In 2017, Ectron commenced operation under new ownership and management. With this, the company adopted a new strategy of delivering a more comprehensive solutions capability for Industrial IoT applications – from the first sensor touch point to the cloud, including analytics and Artificial Intelligence enabled Machine Learning at the edge.

This decision followed extensive market research among existing and potential customers by Ectron’s CEO Kary Dodd and its COO/VP of Engineering Gautam Kavipurapu. The market feedback was clear: There was a significant gap in the market for harnessing Ectron’s expertise and complete computer solutions; purpose built for key edge-based industrial applications, especially engine/machine condition monitoring, but also HMI computers and IoT Gateways. Furthermore, Ectron realized that being able to offer complete end-to-end IoT solutions – consisting of sensors, networking, instrumentation amplifiers, gateways and industrial computers – would be in increasing demand for transforming factories into Smart factories.